Antique Secretary

This is the last item that I need to add to my home and I found it on my dear, sweet Craigslist. I love the clawfeet and the serpentine drawers. I believe it's a Chippendale design. I did buy another writing desk a month ago, but hubby took that over and I have just the space for this under a painting in the dining room.

















Any clutter will be hidden under the drop-down shelf - the beauty of form and function. The seller is looking for the key, which I hope he finds because I want to add a little tassel to it and keep it in the keyhole.

The swamps of Missouri

Who knew we had swamps??? I read about them recently in our State's Conservation magazine and decided to make a painting of a swamp scene. This is my take, with a little deer enjoying a cool drink in the moonlight.

Pendulum Clock for that homey library Look

I am adding this lovely clock to my decor and you KNOW where I got it - Craigslist, of course! It is a Westminster Chiming clock, but I don't yet know the maker. I'll do some research when I get it tomorrow and let you know more about it. I love the swinging pendulum and that it will chime on the hour. Sister Jane will just LOVE that when she spends the night!

Call me Ishmael.......

......Or call me finicky.

I changed the color of the hunter's horn chandy to a cream and I really like this much better. It shows off the lines and the horns don't "disappear" into the shadows. Notice that I left the inside of the larger ring the original brass to add sparkle.

The medallion above it got a revamping, too. I lightened it up with a dry brush application of the buttercream paint and lined it with a warmer brown color, instead of the black.

Sister Jane may be bringing me some more antlers to add to this to make it even more "lodge-y".

Victorian Door with carvings in breakfast room

I brought out my old door and gave it a whitewash to bring out the nice carvings and paired it with some more of my artworks to make an interesting corner nook in the breakfast room. (Which is really a sitting room off the kitchen) The old trunk holds DD's school bag and DH's tennis shoes when he takes them off by the door. We gals spend all this time making a beautiful nest and the papa birds fly in with their dirty sneakers and leave them everywhere! Out! Out! ;-)

Got to have Lamb's Ears in the Garden borders

Today I transplanted some lamb's ear plants that were freecycled to me. This photo is from Flickr - but it really shows how the hot color of the flowers work with the cool lamb's ears. I think I will add some red to the garden spot, too!

Some people put flowers in their crystal vases....

But there are those of us who, as arteeeests, use our crystal in our own, practical way. What can I say? This is who I am. :-)

My foyer re-do

Ahhhh, spring! And I'm in the midst of the ritual spring cleaning. As promised to my sisters, here is a corner that just got a revamping. I have so much artwork that I am culling out the cluttery things that aren't art.

Here you see my grandmother's old dresser, a glass hutch from my mom, one of my artworks, and 2 satellite dishes that my daughter painted for me.

I had to lighten up the pic somewhat, so the colors are a little off, but you get the idea.... Come on over! Let me make you some sweet tea!

Another Craigslist find for the family room

Woo-hoo! Found this on Craigslist for $10. This totally rounds out my hunter's horn chandy, that I also got off Craigslist. This is the Craigslist picture, so I'll post a pic of the lamp when it gets settled in its new home.

What would make my hunter's horn chandy extra special? Hmmmm.

How about ANTLERS??? Yes! I've always admired those pricey antler chandeliers, and now, because I'm redecorating and doing some spring cleaning - I took these door drapes down.......and....
Presto! Now I have my very own, and one-of-a-kind chandy!

Old wagon wheel for the front trellis

Sister KK gave this wonderful authentic iron wagon wheel and today I placed it in front of the front porch step for the vining plant that grows there. Hubby and I did some spring trimming around the yard and this plant got a good shearing so it should soon be sprouting long, healthy vines to beautifully accent this antique. I won't let it completely cover the wheel as I think just a small percentage will work the best. Ahhhhh, Spring brings out the human need for rebuilding and cleaning the nest.

Reading Nook

Time to move things around a bit - I feel spring coming on. This is a reading nook I put together today using my fireplace mantle and a decoupaged bookshelf that luckily fits right into the opening. The chair was a curbside find that is very heavy and well-made. The mantle came out of an old Victorian home and I've had it for years, though it's been repainted many times in different color themes to match my ever-changing decor moods.

Happy B-Day to Me - and to mark the occasion, here are my new Mossy Oak Camo Crocs

Hee-hee! These nifty camos were on sale for $17.50, down from the usual $30 or so. I hardly ever see Crocs on sale, so I scooped them up and now you can't see my feet 'cause, of course, they are camouflaged. ;-) And speaking of feet....you have got to try the inserts: Spenco Q-Factor. Heaven!

A great blog site for you: Completely Coastal

Wow - In case you haven't visited it, Completely Coastal has some wonderful eye candy pics that you will simply drool over! This is one of them and I may just have to paint this for my dining room. And have you ever seen a steel igloo? For that sight, you have to go to her site!

Hunter's Horn Chandy and Medallion are up

The chandelier was a bright brass and so I needed to distress it by using black and brown hobby paint with a little glaze mixed in. The cord cover is the same material as the window treatments. The shades match another lamp shade in the breakfast room and came from Lowes. The inside of the shades are a nice gold to match the gold embroidery on the outside. Looking at these pics make me see that the "candlesticks" may have to be distressed to a warmer tone - the white kind of stands out from the rest. Guess that's tomorrow's project. What do you think?